


Merry, Merry Fringemas

by itemfinder



Category: Fringe
Genre: Christmas, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2008, recipient:chase_acow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-25
Updated: 2008-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-18 15:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/190248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itemfinder/pseuds/itemfinder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Twas the day before Christmas, and Walter decided to decorate his lab.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Merry, Merry Fringemas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chase_acow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chase_acow/gifts).



> Big thanks to sykkea@lj and Snow (from Yuletide chat) for betaing. Writing this was a joy -- I would never have imagined Fringe would be so much fun to try and imitate.

It wasn't surprising for Astrid to find the Bishops already in the lab when she arrived. She had come to expect an immediate "Hey" or "Good morning" from Peter when she opened the door, occasionally followed by a belated greeting or order from Walter. It was hard to imagine that in just a few months her daily routine had changed to involve a mad scientist and a _cow_ , let alone all of the other crazy things that had been going on lately.

What was surprising, though, was opening the door one morning to find that Christmas had arrived, in the form of tinsel, little flashing lights, quietly playing music, and even a scrawny little Christmas tree.

Her baffled examination of the room was interrupted when Walter looked up from adjusting the cow's Santa hat. "Ah! Mm.. Miss. Would you mind coming over here to help?"

Already resigning herself to a day spent filling strange requests (which wasn't all that different from normal, really), Astrid pulled the door shut and went to join him. "Where's Peter?"

"Peter?" Walter looked around the room, as if expecting to find him. "Oh, yes, Peter. He's getting a few more things from the car. Do you like her hat? I had considered giving her a holiday bell instead, but I decided this was a better idea."

"It's very nice. What did you want help with?" Sometimes Walter needed a few guiding reminders, unless you didn't mind waiting for him to return to his thought or find a different one to follow.

"We need to hang ornaments." Walter gave the cow a fond pat and made his way over to the tree with Astrid following him. "This isn't the healthiest specimen, but at least we had no trouble finding it or getting it through the door."

"It looks like you pulled it out of a dumpster," Astrid commented, picking off a dead branch.

Walter gave her a startled look. "You know, that was what Peter said as well. I assure you it was taken from an abandoned lot, not a dumpster."

Astrid just shook her head and started hanging ornaments, not at all surprised when Walter wandered off to toy with the flickering Christmas lights. They worked in fairly companionable silence until Peter pushed the door open.

"One oversized and very heavy box, just for you, Walter. I don't remember when we started hanging bricks on the tree, though." He carefully lowered it to the ground, and then reached his arms over his head to stretch, smiling at Astrid. "Oh, good morning, Astrid. I didn't think you'd be here yet. And of course he already has you working."

"Actually, the young lady was just about to leave," Walter said.

Astrid gave him a confused look. "I was?"

"Yes, of course," he replied firmly. After a few seconds of silence from both Astrid and Peter, he looked a little sheepish. "Didn't I say? You'll need to go and buy some stockings."

"Stockings. Right." She put one last bulb on the tree. "I don't think this can hold much more without collapsing anyway."

Peter frowned at Walter. "Hey, Astrid. You don't really have to go. He can live without the stockings."

"Yeah, I know," she shrugged, zipping up her coat. "But I'll have my cell phone, and since we don't have a case right now, I wouldn't mind getting out of the lab for a few hours. Don't have too much fun without me."

"Heh. No chance of that," he said, waving.

"Peter, could you come here for a moment?" Walter asked from his crouched position on the other side of the lab.

Peter shook his head. "Sure, Walter. What's up?"

"I found this at a drug store." Walter stood, holding a mechanical Santa. "It sings, you see--"

"I know, I was there when you bought it. Yesterday. What's wrong with it?"

"It seems to be having some problems." Walter hit the button, and the Santa started making a loud, warped, crooning sound.

"Okay, okay, shut it off!" Peter grabbed the toy from Walter. "That's horrible. What did you do to it? I just put in new batteries this morning, and I _know_ it worked when we bought it."

"I was testing it."

"Testing it." Peter pulled off the bottom of the Santa, and popped out the batteries. "Walter. Does your testing have anything to do with all of these wires?"

"Oh, yes," Walter said, nodding. "I wanted to see if I could change the way it danced. It wasn't in-time."

"And now it is." Peter shook his head. "Because you broke the sound entirely."

"Well, that wasn't exactly my intention."

"But it's what you did. I'll see what I can do."

Walter toyed with the Christmas lights. "You know, son, you always loved winter. Especially Christmas. I remember--"

"No, Walter, that was you." Peter didn't even look up from fixing the Santa. "The only thing I liked about winter was getting out of school."

"Oh. Well." Walter frowned for a moment, and then brightened. "This is the last strand of lights. Would you like to have the honor, Peter?"

"No, you go right ahead," Peter said. "I'm still trying to fix your groaning Santa."

With a dramatic flourish, Walter attached the lights. "Perfect!" A second later, the lights flickered and one of bulbs exploded with a bright flash and a puff of smoke.

Walter and Peter looked at the offending bulb, and then each other. "Peter--"

"After I fix the Santa, I'll look at the lights. Maybe you should stick to things that aren't electric."

"Perhaps that would be for the best."

* * *

It took most of the day, but Peter was finally alone in the lab. It wasn't that he disliked company, but there were only so many times he could deal with Walter singing "We Three Kings" before something had to be done. Of secondary importance, he had finally managed to undo all of the damage Walter had done, including calm the cow. Apparently Gene didn't appreciate the lights Walter had tried adding to her Santa hat. To be honest, Peter was surprised she was tolerating the hat in the first place.

Walter had discovered the dancing Santa's motion sensor option, which meant that any motion whatsoever was greeted by an enthusiastic, slightly electronic rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock", complete with a (now properly timed) hip-swinging dance. Peter planned on taking its batteries out as soon as he finished double-checking the Christmas lights. After spending so much time fixing it, smashing the damn thing wasn't really an option, although it was getting more and more tempting.

A quick look around the room made him realize that taking everything back down would probably be just as annoying as it was putting it up. Normally that wouldn't be the case, but Walter had threaded the Christmas lights around (and through) everything, and there were several places where taking things down quickly would make damaging some of the expensive lab equipment a dangerous possibility.

He was trying to figure out just where Walter's tangled line of lights started when Olivia walked into the lab. She took a moment to absorb her surroundings before speaking. "It looks like Christmas in here."

Peter laughed, setting aside the Christmas lights. "Doesn't it? We've been decorating since six this morning, it better."

"Isn't the twenty-fourth cutting it a little close?" Olivia asked, raising her eyebrows. "And where are Walter and Astrid?"

"They went to buy stockings. Apparently he has stocking standards." Peter shook his head. "She tried twice by herself before he decided he should supervise."

"Uh huh. And where's the music coming from?"

"Dancing Santa," Peter said, pointing. "Just be glad I fixed it."

"I'm sure I am. Excuse me." Olivia pulled out and flipped open her phone. "Dunham. I'm in the lab, what's up? Uh huh. Yeah. Alright, I'll be there." She pocketed the phone and gave Peter a small smile. "That was Broyles, there's a new case. I'm meeting him at the office. Do you want to come?"

"Thanks, but no, I think I'll stay here. You'll probably be back once Broyles explains whatever it is he thinks is crazy enough to need us. Staying here saves me a trip."

"Suit yourself."

"Oh, Olivia!" Peter called out. "Don't let Walter catch you by the door."

Olivia stopped, giving Peter a confused look. "The door?"

Peter pointed at a small bunch of mistletoe hanging above the doorframe. "He's been trying to get Astrid all day. I think he forgot that she's the one he had hang it."

"I'll keep it in mind. Happy holidays, Peter."

"Merry Christmas, Olivia."

  



End file.
